New burial sites revealed

Animals will have to be buried to keep apace

Welsh Agriculture Minister Carwyn Jones has revealed the five sites to be used for the disposal of welfare animal carcasses.

Orders have been granted to dump the carcasses against the wishes of site owners because there is insufficient capacity to keep burning cattle at other locations.

The sites are Pwll Watkin in Rhydyfro near Pontardawe; Astbury Quarry at Llay near Wrexham; Trecatti, Merthyr; Penhesgyn, Anglesey and Tir John, Swansea

Carwyn Jones: announced sites

They have been licenced under the Animal Bi-products Order 1999, which allows the assembly to override the wishes of site owners and local authorities if they have no alternative.

Many uninfected animals cannot return to their home farms due to the foot-and-mouth movement restrictions and are left starving in fields.

The Intervention Board introduced the Landfill Welfare Scheme, a voluntary disposal scheme for farmers wanting a quick slaughter for their cattle. The Environment Agency has licenced the sites.

An assembly spokesman said they did not know when the dumping would begin. Mr Jones said the assembly now "had the disease by the tail."

A meeting will be held on Saturday on Anglesey to discuss the Penhesgyn burials.

The owners of the landfill site there have previously opposed the disposal of more burials and Anglesey County Council said it remained "totally opposed" to the action.

Smallholders revolt

Meanwhile, a group of hobby farmers is to ask the High Court to spare their animals from the government cull.

Six women from Anglesey refused to hand over their pet sheep and cows to slaughtermen from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Abergavenny farmer Barry Lewis, who this week attacked the Intervention Board over beauracracy and delays, was due to have his animals slaughtered early Saturday morning.

A north Wales farmer who ignored foot-and-mouth restrictions and moved 63 pregnant ewes has been fined £2,000 pounds by magistrates in Llandudno.

The court heard Robert Cledwyn Jones, 52, from Gyffin in the Conwy Valley, had panicked because four lambs had died and another two were very ill.

Mr Cledwyn put the sheep into a lorry and drove them between four and five miles to his farm. He admitted to moving the sheep without a licence.

Meanwhile, residents near the Epynt site near Sennybridge in Powys, where burial was this week halted, remain vehemently opposed to continued carcass burning.